Bro Gary Sunday Morning 11/13/11

Bro Gary Sunday Morning 11/13/11

Joh 7:37  In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink.

Joh 7:38  He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.

Hezekiah had dug a 1780 feet tunnel to bring water to Jerusalem.  It was designed to not become stagnate but would be continually flowing, used in whatever manner and then continue on to be used again farther along.  It was created so that the enemies of the Jews could not shut off the supply of water to Jerusalem. 

We live in a society where people enjoy getting together for festivals.  There is nothing wrong with having festivals.  Weddings are festivals.  There are both good and bad festivals.  Festivals were times of getting together, rejoicing over what God had done for them. 

When I was a boy I remember times of eating together and camping together.  People visited more than they do today.  I remember going to visit my uncle and aunt, not because it was their birthday, but just to get together.

On the last day of this feast, Jesus asked if anyone thirsted for something more than just the things they were enjoying in the festival.  This morning in Sunday school there was a request for a relative that was feeling dryness in their spiritual life. 

We want to preach about drinking at that river.

It is a common thing to thirst; it was not just started when I showed up or when the song writer wrote, ‘I Thirst.’  It is an old problem of men and women being so dry. 

Many times people drink of rivers that satisfy only to a degree in their life.  Many, many people have experienced success and recognition in different ways.  We look at our relatives: I had a uncle that was very unique; he was one of the few men that packed three railroad ties on one shoulder.  Some were gifted as loggers to be able to pull five or six trailers behind the regular load of logs. 

Eddie Porter from 1950 to whenever killed an elk every year.  Every year he drank of the river of hunting; it is not a sinful river.  This year, there are many rivers flowing in America that people drink at. 

Some here know the man that had spinal meningitis and God in His mercy allowed him to survive spinal meningitis.  This man had been educated that family is everything; he proved that this river dried up.  He divorced his wife and left his children.  It is an old story. 

Some thought that the river of gold would satisfy.  They risked their life to get to the Yukon.  Many were rich over night.  That river dried up.

God has asked everyone in this audience if they are thirsty this morning.  There are a lot of streams that will flow into your life if you will open the gate.  Jesus said, “If any man thirst…”

Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousness.  Paul asked the question, “What is righteousness?”  and then answered his own question:

1Co 1:30  But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption:

1Co 1:31  That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.

When we drink of that river of life, (you cannot separate God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit from being of that river.) you drink of the river of righteousness.  It is living right before God, being right with your fellow man, and doing what is right.  You cannot drink of the river of righteousness and of the river of strife or faultfinding or gossip.  You cannot do it dear ones.

Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousness.

Jesus said, “He that believeth on me, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.”  It is not the same as believing that there was a man, Abraham Lincoln.  I have respect for Abraham Lincoln, but I’m not putting my trust in him.  He has been dead for many years.  People will put their trust in things that cannot help them.

I think of the needs of mankind, not just the needs of the family of the family of God.  When we pray and think of those needs, there are needs for divine intervention.  I think of the need and loss that Sister Griffin has.  It is beyond what I can comprehend. 

Bro Gyme Kelly has a brother that needs divine intervention.  He only has one kidney and it is in trouble.  When the outlook is grim try the up-look. 

When you think of the desperation of people in America: the number of homeless individuals under 25 would scare you.  There are lots of people wandering, “It doesn’t matter whether I go this way or that way, because I really don’t have a destination.”  When the outlook gets grim, try the up-look. 

You can trust Jesus.  It is wonderful this morning to be able to look up.  The word of God fully covers every need.  Those that are thirsty and tired of realizing that their past haunts them have a river to go to.  There are millions this morning whose past haunts them. 

1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins He is faithful and just to forgive us of our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.  The Word of God deals with the sin issue.  When He forgives us of our sins he removes them as far as the east is from the west never to be remembered against us again.  We each have a past:  I was a sinner, but because of the blood of Jesus Christ, my record of sin has been torn out of the book and my name is written down in the Lamb’s Book of Life.

Some sing beautifully but have emptiness within.

If you are saved, you will be thirsty; this is part of being saved.

Col 3:1  If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.

Col 3:2  Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.

Col 3:3  For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.

Each of us has the ability to really like nature, wildlife, gardening, children, wife or husband, the saints, and souls.  This is a wonderful testimony.  There is a great need of everyone obeying the scripture of setting their affection on that which is above. 

Set your affection:  I am praying that every river that flows into me that isn’t from God above will be dried up.  In the heat of the battle, and the battle will come, we don’t want to think, “I’m right in the middle of the battle so I’ll go drink of this river of whatever worldly source to help me forget the battle.”  You will only be drier.

Dead to every worldly pleasure
Dead indeed to sin am I
But alive to Christ my Savior
Daily to Him I’m drawing nigh.

Let me see: Jesus only,
Jesus only, Jesus only,
Let me see: Jesus only
Only He can satisfy

You can enjoy the fall leaves, and the lake but it takes Jesus to satisfy our soul.

There is a river of life, a river of the spirit, and we must drink of that or we will inhabit a wilderness: a place where God is not.  People drink of other rivers and cut everyone else off and become a part of a wilderness.  Jesus waters a thirsty and parched land.

Joh 7:38  He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.

Rev 22:1  And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb.

This shows the origins of this river.  Hezekiah created a channel 1708 feet to cause water to come to the pool of Siloam.  The distance to the river of life is the same length as God’s arm that is not shortened. 

When I think of God reaching down his arm: He is not full of aches and pains, He has not grown old at all, and His arm is not shortened.  It reaches to you when you are sick and lonely. 

Isaiah was disappointed when Uzziah died.  Uzziah had started out serving God and had gotten lifted up and out of order with God. 

Have it settled that God can bless you and use you and you will not get lifted up and you will stay true to God. 

His soul was lifted up to destruction.  Don’t drink anything of that river of pride.  Uzziah got out of order with God and ended up with leprosy and all alone.

This river of righteousness flows more than 1708 feet.  God is the God of the whole earth; heaven cannot contain God.  He is rich and powerful; He fills every mountain and valley.  You may go through deep valleys in your life; make sure you have made the choice to drink of that living water.

Psa 46:4  There is a river, the streams whereof shall make glad the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacles of the most High.

I like to think of you and I each having a little stream flowing into us.  We each allow it to flow out to each other and it makes the city of God so happy!

I am challenged, you are challenged, and we will be challenged; this is how life is.  Don’t look for anything else to supply that need for God in your life.  You may feel in desperate need of wisdom.  That is life.   

Everyone here is getting older.  During the years while children are growing up their parents are crying out to God for wisdom to teach and train their children, but it will not be long and the children will be old enough to need wisdom from God to help them make decisions. 

I’ve been asking God to dry up that river of foolishness.  A good laugh is good but we want to make sure that it doesn’t cost us more than we want to pay for it.  It is alright to have the river of foolishness dry up.  The river of God will keep me full of joy.

There are associations that you and I can get into that are always at war; they think, talk, and initiate war.  There is a river that makes wars to cease unto the end of the earth.  The battle is over; Jesus fought the battle through and gives us victory.  Relax your fears and drink of the river.  God is still on the throne.

Psa 46:5  God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved: God shall help her, and that right early.

Psa 46:6  The heathen raged, the kingdoms were moved: he uttered his voice, the earth melted.

Psa 46:7  The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah.

Psa 46:8  Come, behold the works of the LORD, what desolations he hath made in the earth.

Psa 46:9  He maketh wars to cease unto the end of the earth; he breaketh the bow, and cutteth the spear in sunder; he burneth the chariot in the fire.

Isa 35:7  And the parched ground shall become a pool, and the thirsty land springs of water: in the habitation of dragons, where each lay, shall be grass with reeds and rushes.

Eze 47:3  And when the man that had the line in his hand went forth eastward, he measured a thousand cubits, and he brought me through the waters; the waters were to the ankles.

Make sure that the one you are influenced by has a line in his hand and is headed east, toward the sun.  He will measure out, put you in a position to walk in the light of God a certain distance.  When you get there, there will be water.  There is nothing so wonderful as getting your feet wet when it is so dry and parched out.  When it is 100 degrees and you go fishing, you will not stay on the bank. 

After you have gotten ankle deep, (If you are here and love God and you’re crying out for more of God, then this message is for you.) that man will come back: the word and Spirit of God speaking to you.  He will measure out more for you.  He’ll measure out to your knees.  You enjoy it and love and serve Him and measure to what He has shown you.  You eat and drink of the good things of God and come to the terms and share all that God gives you. 

When He pours it in, pour it out.  Anything that His word speaks to you that helps you in your soul and creates the fruit of the Spirit, we want to share.

We say, “God you’ve been so good, but my heart is crying for more of you.”  You get into the book and he measures out some more.  No need to fear, this water is spiritual water and there are no holes or snares when you are following God.  The ground is good when you are walking toward the sun. 

God convicted and then he met the conviction.  He told me to rest my fears with Him.  He told me that he has always been with the aged that serve Him.  Those of us that are grandparents look at the world and are not pleased with what we see.  He speaks to our heart; “We can trust Jesus.” 

Then we say, I’ll go where ever you want me to go God, and he measures out waters to swim in.

We’ve all had rivers of this world, of our own making or of the making of another individual.  We’re blessed when they dry up.  All the rivers of the world will dry up.

Al Gephardt was a nice man and prided himself of having the best of everything.  He prided himself in his barn, his house, his wife, and his children.  He took out his folder and told me that all his life he’d prided himself in having the best.  He told me that he had all this but there was a deep void within. 

I believe in working but a job alone will leave you empty.  Don’t trust in a nest-egg.  You may be here with this or that.  All those things are to be appreciated but there is only one river that will satisfy.  All the other rivers end up in the Dead Sea.  This river is from above.  When we cry out from the depths of our heart, “God allow your river, the river of the Spirit, to flow in my heart.” 

The fruits of the spirit are: Love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance.

Continual flowing:  You ask if I always wake up feeling like jumping and shouting.  No, I wake like you wake.  I sometimes wake with a headache.  I sometimes turn this way and that and finally get out of bed thinking, “It hasn’t worked, I’m going to get up.”

We’re not a crystal, but we don’t go on feelings.  We want that river flowing into us because there are those that need us to let it flow out of us to them so they can partake of this river. 

You say, “If I keep giving out love, I’m going to run out.”  I invite you to come out beyond your ankles.  The guy that is in the river 20 or 30 feet is not thinking that it is going to dry up.

What is flowing into your soul, your mind, your spirit?  If you are not sure, then I ask you what is flowing out from you.  Something is flowing out from you.

If you are hungering and thirsting and you feel God moving on your heart this morning, I counsel you to humble yourself and pray because you are challenged to have that river flowing in so that you are not always struggling but the river is flowing in so that there are waters to swim in, so that there are waters that will supply not just your needs. 

We are not dead seas, saying Oh God give me so that I’ll have this and that, so that I’ll have a good life.  That is not the river of the Spirit.  God help me to have a river flowing out so that it goes not only to the little guy but to the mother and dad, so that it reaches the throne for daughter and son.